Stiffness (Buddhism)

In Hinayana Buddhism, some sources list sloth or stiffness with torpor - [middha]

- as a single formation, one of the five hindrances to absorption. There is general paralysis due to lack both of urgency and vigour. In particular, stiffness or sloth has the characteristic of lacking driving power and opposing effort. Its function is destruction or removal of energy and it manifests as subsiding or sinking associated states. As with torpor, the proximate cause is unwise attention to boredom, discontent, sloth, etc. Sloth when combined with torpor results in a state of drowsiness.

One of the formations aggregate (mental coefficients) of Hinayana Buddhism, being listed among the constant states which appear in their true nature, and as unprofitable secondary (sometimes present in any unprofitable or unprofitable-resultant consciousness).